Electrically insulating device for use on a railway track under and beside the foot of a rail

Abstract

A device to be placed on a railway sleeper (1) or some other foundation for a railway rail (3) includes a pad (2) and two upstanding portions (6A). The pad (2) is of resilient and electrically insulating material and the upstanding portions (6A) are of stiffer electrically insulating material. At least two-thirds of the area of the pad (2) has none of the stiffer material above or below it. Preferably the upstanding portions (6A) are at least 150 mm. long and are on elongate members (6) which have ears (6B) at opposite ends which extend under only corners of the pad (2), where they are secured by spigots (2E) projecting into holes (6C).

I claim: 
     
       1. A device which is suitable to be placed on a foundation for a railway rail and to have the rail standing on it, the device comprising a substantially rectangular pad of a first material on which the rail is to stand and two upstanding portions of a second material which is an electrically insulating material extending upwardly from locations near two opposite edges of the pad, for locating the foot of the rail, the pad being made of a resilient and electrically insulating material, the two upstanding portions being of a stiffer electrically insulating material, and each upstanding portion having joined thereto at its upper end a respective sideways-extending portion, with the two sideways-extending portions projecting away from one another, at least two-thirds of the area of the pad having none of the stiffer material above or below it, and the pad being fastened to the upstanding portions so as to form therewith a unitary structure adapted to be placed as a unit onto a foundation of the rail and to permit placement of the rail onto the pad and between the upstanding portions without the latter impeding the lowering of the rail, in its upright position, vertically downwardly onto the pad. 
     
     
       2. A device according to claim 1 in which the upstanding portions are on first and second elongate electrically insulating members which extend along said two opposite edges of the pad, neither of which members has a part which extends as much as half of the way across the pad towards the other member. 
     
     
       3. A device according to claim 2 in which each member has at least one part which extends under only the adjacent marginal portion of the pad and is there secured to the pad and each member has no part which extends above the pad. 
     
     
       4. A device according to claim 3 in which each member has at each end an ear which extends less than half of the way across the pad and under only a corner of the pad. 
     
     
       5. A device according to claim 4 in which the upstanding portions ar more than 150 mm. long. 
     
     
       6. A device according to claim 5 in which at each corner of the pad at least one spigot projects downwardly from the lower face of the pad and into a hole through one of the ears of one of said members. 
     
     
       7. A device according to claim 1 in which each sideways-extending portion has a recess in it to receive part of a clip-anchoring member. 
     
     
       8. A device according to claim 1 in which each sideways-extending portion is inclined to the horizontal by about 45° when the pad lies on a flat horizontal surface. 
     
     
       9. A device according to claim 1 in which the pad has numerous bosses extending upwardly from its upper surface and numerous bosses directly opposite these and extending downwardly from the lower surface of the pad. 
     
     
       10. A device which is suitable to be placed on a foundation for a railway rail and to have the rail standing on it, the device comprising a substantially rectangular pad of a resilient and electrically insulating first material on which the rail is to stand and first and second elongate electrically insulating members extending along two opposite edges of the pad, respectively, said insulating members including respective first and second upstanding portions of a second material, which is an electrically insulating material stiffer than the first material, extending upwardly from locations near respective ones of said two opposite edges of the pad, for locating the foot of the rail, at least two-thirds of the area of the pad having none of the stiffer material below it, neither of said insulating members having a part which extends as much as half of the way across the pad towards the other insulating members, each insulating member being a separate structure from the pad and having at least one part which extends under only the adjacent marginal portion of the pad and is there secured to the pad, and each insulating member having no part which extends above the pad. 
     
     
       11. A device according to claim 10 in which each insulating member has at each end an ear which extends less than half of the way across the pad and under only a corner of the pad. 
     
     
       12. A device which is suitable to be placed on a foundation for a railway rail and to have the rail standing on it, the device comprising a substantially rectangular pad of a first material on which the rail is to stand and two upstanding portions of a second material which is an electrically insulating material joined to the pad and extending upwardly from locations near two opposite edges of the pad, for locating the foot of the rail, the pad being made of resilient and electrically insulating material and the two upstanding portions being more than 150 mm. long and of a stiffer electrically insulating material, at least two-thirds of the area of the pad having none of the stiffer material above or below it, the upstanding portions being on first and second electrically insulating members having opposite ends, and each insulating member having at each end an ear which extends under a corner of the pad, there being at each corner of the pad at least one spigot which projects downwardly from the lower face of the pad and into a hole through one of the ears of one of said members.